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BELGIUM ALE DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

See Also: Devilishly Good Food Article
Devil’s food refers to a dark, dense, chocolate concoction that is usually baked.  It is so named because since it is so rich and delicious it must be “sinful.” Devil’s food usually has a greater proportion of chocolate than regular chocolate cake. This recipe comes from Lynne Kaplan, a chef who owns the Victoria House Bed & Breakfast in Spring Lake, NJ. For a gourmet B&B check them out at victoriahouse.net.

8 oz unsalted butter plus extra for greasing pans
3 oz. unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder plus some for dusting pan
11 oz. dark Belgium ale (or amber ale or dark beer)
12 oz. unbleached flour, sifted
1 tsp. salt
1 and a quarter tsp. baking soda
16 oz. sugar
2 eggs
6 oz. buttermilk


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter. Cut two circles of parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans. Grease the parchment with butter and dust the pans with cocoa powder.

Place the ale in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa, stirring until it dissolves and becomes smooth and creamy. Let cool to room temperature.  Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda, and set aside. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.  Add the ale/cocoa mixture and blend well. 

Alternately, blend in the flour mixture and buttermilk, (start with the flour mixture and end with the flour mixture in 3 additions).  Pour into prepared pans and bake until cake tester comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert on racks and cool completely. Frost with ale frosting.

ALE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
6 oz. dark Belgium ale
1 oz Dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder
8 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
24 oz. confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate shavings from a dark chocolate candy bar for garnish

In a saucepan bring the ale to a boil, remove from the heat and add cocoa powder, stirring until dissolved. Cool completely in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

With the whisk attachment on your electric mixer whip the butter until light and creamy. Add the cooled ale mixture and blend well. Add vanilla. Start adding confectioners sugar a little at a time whipping completely after each addition. Whip until a spreadable consistency is achieved.

To assemble, turn one of the cake layers on a cake plate.  Frost the top with some of the frosting. Place the second layer on top. Frost the top of that layer and the sides of the cake. Make chocolate shavings by running a vegetable peeler over the candy bar. Garnish the top of cake with the shavings.